Quick disconnect device



Feb. 13, 1962 J. GOLDBERG ETAL 3,021,403

QUICK DISCONNECT DEVICE Filed March ll, 1960 x 35 llllll INVENTORS JACK GOLDBERG HERBERT L. ROSENBERG RgYBERT E LE VINO J? @004; 0. a Q, MW

ATTORNEY 3,021,403 QUICK DISCONNECT DEVICE 3,021,403 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 by an upwardly extending part 31' of the'member 24 which Jack Goldberg and Herbert L. Rosenberg, Levittown,

and Robert F. Le Vino, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., as-

signors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Mar. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 14,485

2 .Claims. (Cl. 200-82) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code The invention described herein may be manufactured (1952), see. 266) v it passes the end of the housing 18 and is free to rotate and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly to an electrical switch which is safelyoper able in the vicinity of flammable gas or fumes.

In the operation of some aircraft emergency escape systems, certain electrical connections have to be broken at a point where flammable gas may exist. Heretofore this has been done by means of a cablev cutter. This is un satisfactory for the reason that the severing of the connection may produce a spark'by which the flammable gas is ignited. The present invention avoids this difliculty by the provision of an electrical switch which functions in response to pneumatic pressure and has its contact .members separated in an enclosure from which the flammable gas is excluded. I

The invention will be better understood from thefollowing description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope is indicated by the appended claims. I

The single figure of the drawing illustrates a switch could otherwise result in' serious injury to the aircraft 7 engages the catch 23. p v

When the aircraft emergency escapeisystem is to be operated, a gas pressure generated by an explosive cartridge is applied through the inlet 27 of the plunger 28.

. This compresses the spring 29 and moves the plunger 28 to a position where the balls 30 moveto' the interior of the piston 22 and release it from the housing 18. As the piston moves, the catch 23 moves with it to a point where counterclockwise, thus releasing the members 24 and 13.

Continued movement of the piston forces the member 13 away from the member 12 and separates the contact mem-. bers 14 in the enclosure formedbetween these two mem-.

bers. Since this enclosure is sealed against leakage by O-rings 16, 17, 21 and and 26, the switch is safely operated in the vicinity of flammable gas or fumes which personnel.

We claim:

1. An electrical switch including a casing closed at one f of its ends by a fixed insulation member having a first electrical conductor extending therethrough, an insulation member movable in said casing to form an enclosure between said insulation members and having a second electrical conductor extending therethrough, means fixed to said movable insulation member and having a flange exwhich includes a casing 10 having threaded onto one of a its ends a sleeve 11 by which it is fixed to an insulation member 12. An insulation member 13 is movable within the casing 10 and has extending through it a contact ber 15 extending through the fixed insulation member 12. An O-ring seal 16 is between the casing 10 and the member 12 and a similar seal 17 is between the casing 10 and the member 13. I

A housing 18 extends through the member 12 and is fixed thereto by means of an external ridge 19 and a snap ring 20, an O-ring seal 21 being provided between the member 12 and the housing 18. v

Movable within the housing 18 is alpiston 22 which tending transversely of said casing, a housing fixed to and extending through said fixed insulation member, said housing having at its inner end an opening receiving said flange, a piston movable in said housing, and a latch pivoted to the inner end of said piston and cooperating with said opening and said flange to lock said piston to, said housing, said piston being movable to unlock said. piston from said housing and to move said movable in- Jsulation member away from said fixed insulation member. member 14 whi'chis arranged to engage a contact mem- 2. An electrical switch including a casing closed at one member movable in said casing to form an enclosure between said insulation members and having a second electrical conductor extending therethrough, means fixed to said movable insulation member and having a flange exhas pivoted to its inner end a catch 23. This catch (1) is biased by a spring pin 32 so that it may be activated-to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and (2) cooperates with the housing 18 and a member 24 to lock the switchin its closed position. Themember 24 is fixed to the movable insulation member 13 by a nut 31a and is surrounded by a seal ring 25. A similar seal ring 26 is provided between the piston 22 and the housing 18.

Threaded on the outer end of the housing 18 is a gas inlet cap 27 against which a plunger 28 is held by a spring 29. When this plunger is in its illustrated position, the

2 housing 18 and the piston 22 are interlocked by balls 30,

the catch 23 is held against counterclockwise rotation by its engagement withthe inner surface of the housing 18, p

and the movable insulation member 13 is held stationary tending transversely of said casing, a housing fixed to and extending through said fixed insulation member, said housing having at its inner end an opening receiving said flange, a piston movable in said housing, a latch pivoted to the inner end of said piston and cooperating with said opening and said flange to lock said piston to said housing, said piston being movable to unlock said piston from said housing and to move said movable insulation member away from said fixed insulation member, means for locking said piston to said housing, and gas pressure operated means for unlocking said piston from said housing and actuating said piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,875,292 Saholt Feb. 24, 1959 2,891,120 Saholt June 16,1959 2,938,976 Wilson May'31, 1960 

